Friday, August 11, 2017 1:00 am

Wholesale prices dip 1st time in 11 months

MARTIN CRUTSINGER | Associated Press

WASHINGTON – Prices at the wholesale level slipped in July, the first decline in 11 months and further evidence that inflation remains a no-show in the economy.

The Labor Department said Thursday that its producer price index, which measures inflation pressures before they reach the consumer, edged down 0.1 percent last month, reflecting a third month of declines in energy prices and a flat reading for food. The July result followed a tiny 0.1 percent gain in June.

It was the first drop in wholesale prices since a decline of 0.2 percent last August.

Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy costs, also fell last month by 0.1 percent. Over the past 12 months, wholesale prices are up a moderate 1.9 percent, while core prices have risen 1.8 percent.

At the beginning of this year, inflation by a gauge preferred by the Fed did climb as high as 2.2 percent gain in February compared with a year ago.

But it has since backtracked and in June registered a 12-month gain of just 1.4 percent.

The 0.1 percent dip in wholesale prices in July reflected a 0.3 percent drop in energy costs in July, which followed even bigger declines in May and June. Last month, the gasoline, natural gas and home heating oil all showed declines.

Food costs showed no gain in July after rising by 0.6 percent in June.

The Labor Department will release its report on consumer prices today.